Filing Cabinet
by skwirelygurli
Summary: Austin and Ally celebrate Easter, and all he can think of is how much he loves her dress.


**Filing Cabinet, an Austin and Ally one-shot **

**I do not own Austin and Ally. Just a short Easter tale to fulfill some prompts. Remember to review!**

Stepping into the church parking lot, he loosens his tie. His parents are what he likes to call Santa Bunnies. Show up to church twice a year, dressed to the tens (because the nines simply aren't good enough), to make small talk over eggs with diced ham, or chubby deformed angel cookies.

It's not that he has a problem with religion.

He just has a problem with this suffocating tie and pantsuit they made him wear. If God has really watched over him since birth like they claim, he's seen him in worse. He's seen him in his gym shorts. He's seen him with barbeque sauce down the front of his shirt.

He's seen him naked.

Not that he'd show up to church naked.

Okay, he's just going to push that disturbing thought aside.

"Can I walk with Ally?" he pleads his parents. It's such a beautiful day out, and the breeze passes through her hair. She turns around at the sound of her name.

He's not going to tell her how adorable it was that her Easter dress spun in a circle with her.

"Just don't be late to the party," his father warns. They're throwing a charity Easter bash at the mattress store.

"We won't be," he promises, taking her hand.

Not too late anyway.

His parents head to their car, with Mr. Dawson following in his Sunday's best. Watching them leave, he swings her around in the opposite direction.

"Austin, the mattress store is that way." He thumb points behind her.

He nods. "I know. We're taking the long cut."

"The long cut?"

"You know, the opposite of a short cut. The long cut."

Perhaps he should loosen that tie a little bit more.

He lets go of her to take off his jacket. Hanging it over his shoulder, his hand finds hers again.

The long cut takes them in circles, talking about past Easters with dyed eggs that never got eaten, and chocolate bunnies with ears zealously bitten off.

His stomach is full of blueberry pancakes and bacon, yet he's hungry. All of those chocolate memories make his mouth water.

"When I was eight, I got this giant chocolate bunny. It was so hot outside that when I went to bite into it, it melted all over the front of my dress. But I didn't have anything else to wear to my grandma's party, so I had to sit there in a chocolate stained dress. After that, I only got banana jellybeans." She smooths down the front of her dress, as if trying to erase the stain.

"Why banana?"

"They're my favorite."

Another fact to file away under the Ally section of his brain.

Well, actually, that filing cabinet got moved to his heart. It was getting crowded up there.

Besides, that's where she truly belongs.

"What? Black jelly beans are the best." In fact, there's a bowl of them on his bedside table right now. It's a vice of his. Once the season starts, he can't stop popping them.

"They're good," she appeases. "But I've just always loved banana jelly beans."

It's going to be one of those things they disagree on. There's no point of arguing it.

Not when he could be doing other things, like telling her what he really thinks of her in that dress.

The mattress store comes into view. "We aren't too late."

"We could run."

"You're wearing heels." They're tall, too tall to run if she wants to stay upright.

It doesn't matter what she wants. He wants her to stay upright.

Can't go marring that dress of hers, now can they?

They pick up their gait, hurrying towards the building. His mother flashes her eyes at him.

"Who's ready to start the egg hunt?" she calls out, eyes brightening for the children.

They scream and bounce in delight as she explains the rules.

The children run off, and his parents pull him aside. "We told you not to be late."

"Sorry." He's sorry he didn't make traffic stop so he didn't have to wait for them to pass in an effort not to maim Ally. He's sorry he told her not to run because she was wearing high heels.

He's sorry he still hasn't told her how he feels about her in that dress.

They rush back with their plastic eggs. Cracking them open, they find the surprises inside. Coins, candies, and stickers fall to the floor.

Aw man, that one had the Spiderman sticker. He was hoping when they loaded these that nobody would find it. Then he could have it when they cleaned up.

He better at least find some chocolate.

_(the page breaks here)_

The families file out of the mattress store, thanking the Moons for their fun and chocolate rabbits. There's one left on the table.

Surely no one would mind if he took the last one.

Fingers wrapped around the ears, he hears his name being called. "Austin sweetie, come help clean up!"

He releases the rabbit.

It better be there when he gets back.

On his hands and knees, he finds a purple egg tucked in the corner. Opening it, he finds a coin.

Couldn't it at least been a chocolate coin?

"Ooh, I found a sticker!" Ally says, standing up. "Look Austin, it's Spiderman."

Wait, hadn't there only been one sticker like that?

More importantly, can he have the sticker?

She peels the backing off, and sticks it on his cheek. It looks out of place, but it's better than sticking it to his dress clothes.

That, and he likes the feeling of her hand on his cheek. Maybe it could stay there for a while.

"I found a quarter," he says, low on breath.

She grins. Spotting an orange egg stuck between two pillows, she goes for it. "So did I."

"How many more eggs do we have to find?" he asks his father, whose teeth are sinking into the last chocolate rabbit.

His heart sinks with the teeth.

"I think they're all picked up now." Another bite.

The Easter bunny comes through, now headless, and bumps into Ally, who in turn, bumps into the counter. The photo album falls to the floor.

Bending down to pick it up, she reads the title.

'Mattresses For Every Age.'

"Don't open that," Austin begs, eyes widening.

"Now don't be ridiculous, son. Go ahead and open it Ally." Ears now gone, he moves on to picking off the colored eyes.

"I'm not going to do it if he doesn't want me to." She hands him the book.

Austin breaths a sigh of relief. He does not want her to see what's in that book. Nor does he want anyone that comes in here to, but especially not her. She does not need to see his bare baby bottom advertising those mattresses. Or any of the other, not so baring pictures.

For her to respect that, he feels very loved.

So loved that he finally decides to say what's been on his mind all day.

"Ally, you look really pretty in that dress."

"Thanks," she says, shocked from the suddenness of it all. It's not like she knew that it was anything but.

He digs into his pocket, pulling out a handful of yellow speckled jelly beans. "I got you something."

"Banana jelly beans?"

"I picked them out of the bowl when you went to help with the chocolate bunnies. I know how they're your favorite, so-" he cuts off as her arms wrap around him.

He will not spill the jellybeans.

Can someone please take the jelly beans so he can make this one armed hug into full on bliss?

She pulls back, popping one into her mouth.

"Mmm, you're too sweet."

Sweet. He'll take that for now. Maybe some day he can work up to other things.

Like delightful, and handsome, and maybe, if he's really lucky, he can add one more thing onto things she considers him to be.

Hers.


End file.
